New faces in Salem

Jasper Collins has emerged as a standout receiver
for Mount Union after biding his time on the
sidelines.
Photo by Dan Poel for d3photography.com

The names and faces have changed over the years, but the teams
and jersey colors have remained the same.

Mount Union and UW-Whitewater – two elite programs
synonymous with not just winning, but winning at record rates
– will face off in Stagg Bowl XXXVIII Saturday, the sixth
consecutive championship clash between the two titans.

The list of players to take the field in this annual battle for
Division III supremacy reads like a who's-who list of some of the
top college players of the decade. Quarterbacks such as Jeff
Donovan and Greg Micheli, running backs like Nate Kmic and Justin
Beaver, and wide receivers like Pierre Garcon, Cecil Shorts and
Derek Stanley among many others.

But even the most die-hard fans of the two teams might need a
game program come kickoff time in Salem this Saturday.

It's possible, if not likely, that both the Purple Raiders and
Warhawks will start backup quarterbacks. Matt Piloto could get the
start for an injured Neal Seaman on Mount Union's side, while Lee
Brekke could make his fifth consecutive start – all in the
playoffs – in place of Matt Blanchard for Whitewater.

Regardless of which two quarterbacks get the nods, all four
signal callers are in the running for a distinguished career
achievement – starting in their first Stagg Bowl.

But the two starting quarterbacks won't be the only
first-timers. Unlike past seasons, where truly dominant Mount Union
and Whitewater teams have taken the field with mostly seniors, this
year's field will showcase juniors and sophomores, many of them at
key positions.

Seaman and Brekke are both sophomores, as is Mount Union's
leading rusher, tailback Jeremy Murray. Wide receiver Jasper
Collins, whose 60 receptions and 824 yards trail only Shorts, is
also a sophomore.

But the Purple Raiders' offense looks experienced compared to
the team's defense. Only two of Mount Union's top eight tacklers
this season are seniors. Four of that same group of eight are
either freshmen or sophomores, a bit of a rarity when dealing with
a program like Mount Union.

"We have some seniors ... just not as many as we usually have,"
Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres said matter-of-factly. "But
they've really done a good job in terms of helping our young guys
learn how to practice consistently well."

Lee Brekke could get the Stagg Bowl at quarterback
for UW-Whitewater. No matter who starts, he'll be the fourth
Warhawk signal-caller in the six Stagg Bowls, following Justin
Jacobs, Danny Jones and Jeff Donovan.
Photo by Daryl Tessmann, d3photography.com

On Whitewater's side, Brekke, a sophomore, seems likely will
continue to fill in for Blanchard, a junior. Standout tailback
Levell Coppage is a junior, as are linebacker Greg Arnold (52.5
tackles, six sacks) and cornerback Jared Kiesow (38 tackles, two
interceptions).

However, a quick comparison of last year's Stagg Bowl starting
lineups compared to the Mount Union and Whitewater lineups from
this year's semifinals games reveals that Whitewater has the edge
in experience.

Mount Union returns only seven starters from last year's Stagg
Bowl, including just three on offense – Shorts, junior
fullback Wes Ryder and senior right guard Sam Guerrero (who started
at right tackle in last year's Stagg Bowl).

Whitewater brings back nearly double that with 13 returning
starters, including seven on offense and four of the five offensive
line spots.

Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold estimated that 20 of his
players on this season’s 52-man postseason roster had never
made the trip to Salem. But Leipold said it is the responsibility
of the experienced upperclassmen to prepare the newcomers for what
lies ahead.

"When you talk about your senior leadership, it can go in a lot
of different ways," Leipold said. "You talk about during your
offseason in the weight room to conditioning to fall camp all the
way through. And now this is another thing, where an older guy can
tell a younger guy of what the routine is. ... Those are the things
that kind of help lay the land, whereas if you're a team that
hasn't gone or you have a group of guys that hasn't gone, the
unknown is definitely there then."

The unknown may be there for individual players, but not for the
two programs. Mount Union and Whitewater have combined to win 11 of
the past 15 Stagg Bowls, so while players and, to a lesser degree
coaches, have come and gone, the programs have withstood the test
of time.

"We haven't changed a whole lot of on our end of what we've
done," Leipold said. "I think for both schools, you tweak a few
things I would imagine, but when you keep having success with what
you're doing, you believe in your systems and you just try to
execute them the best you can."

While Kehres' team is younger than its traditonally been, the
veteran coach has leaned on a handful of key upperclassmen to help
guide the new starters through their inevitable growing pains.

"The leader in terms of our O-line is Sam Guerrero," Kehres
said. "He's played a couple different positions for us, he's played
guard, he's played tackle and he's done that for a couple years
based on other men being injured. He's kind of a quiet leader, not
as recognized as some of the skill players, but he's been a
critical part of the development of this team, from our perspective
because he hasn't missed any games for three seasons."

Kehres couldn't have asked for a better duo of senior defenders
in defensive end Lambert Budzinski and linebacker Sam Kershaw, who
have anchored the Purple Raiders' stout defense this season.

Budzinski has 101 tackles, including 29 for a loss, and 17.5
sacks, which trails only Linfield's Eric Hedin's 21 sacks for most
in the country.

"Thank goodness for Lambert because we were totally kind of
young on our defensive line and inexperienced, but he's been a
leader in helping those young guys practice properly," Kehres said.
"He's a very disciplined player in carrying out his assignments.
... He's really been the ultimate in terms of leadership for our
team and everything you want in one of your captains."

Kershaw, with 94 tackles, has been a steadying force not only
for the rest of the linebacking corps, but for the defense as a
whole. That's allowed players like sophomore linebacker Charles
Dieuseul (72 tackles, nine sacks) and sophomore strong safety Nick
Driskill (68 tackles, three sacks, five interceptions) to
shine.

Kehres also singled out senior cornerback Chaz Jordan, senior
tight end Kyle Miller and senior left tackle Kyle Reese as other
important pieces of the puzzle.

Of course, when considering all of this it's important to keep
in mind that at one time, players like Beaver, Kmic and Donovan
were making their first appearances in the Stagg Bowl. Their names
have since forever been etched in the history of the game.

Now, it's time for a new generation of players to leave their
marks.

By Andrew
Lovell
for D3football.com

The names and
faces have changed over the years, but the teams and jersey colors
have remained the same.

Mount Union and
UW-Whitewater – two elite programs synonymous with not just
winning, but winning at record rates – will face off in Stagg
Bowl XXXVIII Saturday, the sixth consecutive championship clash
between the two titans.

The list of
players to take the field in this annual battle for Division III
supremacy reads like a who's-who list of some of the top college
players of the decade. Quarterbacks such as Jeff Donovan and Greg
Micheli, running backs like Nate Kmic and Justin Beaver, and wide
receivers like Pierre Garcon, Cecil Shorts and Derek Stanley among
many others.

But even the most
die-hard fans of the two teams might need a game program come
kickoff time in Salem this Saturday.

It's possible, if
not likely, that both the Purple Raiders and Warhawks will start
backup quarterbacks. Matt Piloto could get the start for an injured
Neal Seaman on Mount Union's side, while Lee Brekke could make his
fifth consecutive start – all in the playoffs – in
place of Matt Blanchard for Whitewater.

Regardless of
which two quarterbacks get the nods, all four signal callers are in
the running for a distinguished career achievement – starting
in their first Stagg Bowl.

But the two
starting quarterbacks won't be the only first-timers. Unlike past
seasons, where truly dominant Mount Union and Whitewater teams have
taken the field with mostly seniors, this year's field will
showcase juniors and sophomores, many of them at key positions.

Seaman and Brekke
are both sophomores, as is Mount Union's leading rusher, tailback
Jeremy Murray. Wide receiver Jasper Collins, whose 60 receptions
and 824 yards trail only Shorts, is also a sophomore.

But the Purple
Raiders' offense looks experienced compared to the team's defense.
Only two of Mount Union's top eight tacklers this season are
seniors. Four of that same group of eight are either freshmen or
sophomores, a bit of a rarity when dealing with a program like
Mount Union.

"We have some
seniors ... just not as many as we usually have," Mount Union head
coach Larry Kehres said matter-of-factly. "But they've really done
a good job in terms of helping our young guys learn how to practice
consistently well."

On Whitewater's
side, Brekke, a sophomore, seems likely will continue to fill in
for Blanchard, a junior. Standout tailback Levell Coppage is a
junior, as are linebacker Greg Arnold (52.5 tackles, six sacks) and
cornerback Jared Kiesow (38 tackles, two interceptions).

However, a quick
comparison of last year's Stagg Bowl starting lineups compared to
the Mount Union and Whitewater lineups from this year's semifinals
games reveals that Whitewater has the edge in experience.

Mount Union
returns only seven starters from last year's Stagg Bowl, including
just three on offense – Shorts, junior fullback Wes Ryder and
senior right guard Sam Guerrero (who started at right tackle in
last year's Stagg Bowl).

Whitewater brings
back nearly double that with 13 returning starters, including seven
on offense and four of the five offensive line spots.

Whitewater head
coach Lance Leipold estimated that 20 of his players on this
season’s 52-man postseason roster had never made the trip to
Salem. But Leipold said it is the responsibility of the experienced
upperclassmen to prepare the newcomers for what lies ahead.

"When you talk
about your senior leadership, it can go in a lot of different
ways," Leipold said. "You talk about during your offseason in the
weight room to conditioning to fall camp all the way through. And
now this is another thing, where an older guy can tell a younger
guy of what the routine is. ... Those are the things that kind of
help lay the land, whereas if you're a team that hasn't gone or you
have a group of guys that hasn't gone, the unknown is definitely
there then."

The unknown may be
there for individual players, but not for the two programs. Mount
Union and Whitewater have combined to win 11 of the past 15 Stagg
Bowls, so while players and, to a lesser degree coaches, have come
and gone, the programs have withstood the test of time.

"We haven't
changed a whole lot of on our end of what we've done," Leipold
said. "I think for both schools, you tweak a few things I would
imagine, but when you keep having success with what you're doing,
you believe in your systems and you just try to execute them the
best you can."

While Kehres' team
is younger than its traditonally been, the veteran coach has leaned
on a handful of key upperclassmen to help guide the new starters
through their inevitable growing pains.

"The leader in
terms of our O-line is Sam Guerrero," Kehres said. "He's played a
couple different positions for us, he's played guard, he's played
tackle and he's done that for a couple years based on other men
being injured. He's kind of a quiet leader, not as recognized as
some of the skill players, but he's been a critical part of the
development of this team, from our perspective because he hasn't
missed any games for three seasons."

Kehres couldn't
have asked for a better duo of senior defenders in defensive end
Lambert Budzinski and linebacker Sam Kershaw, who have anchored the
Purple Raiders' stout defense this season.

Budzinski has 101
tackles, including 29 for a loss, and 17.5 sacks, which trails only
Linfield's Eric Hedin's 21 sacks for most in the country.

"Thank goodness
for Lambert because we were totally kind of young on our defensive
line and inexperienced, but he's been a leader in helping those
young guys practice properly," Kehres said. "He's a very
disciplined player in carrying out his assignments. ... He's really
been the ultimate in terms of leadership for our team and
everything you want in one of your captains."

Kershaw, with 94
tackles, has been a steadying force not only for the rest of the
linebacking corps, but for the defense as a whole. That's allowed
players like sophomore linebacker Charles Dieuseul (72 tackles,
nine sacks) and sophomore strong safety Nick Driskill (68 tackles,
three sacks, five interceptions) to shine.

By Andrew Lovell
for D3football.com

The names and faces have changed over the years, but the teams
and jersey colors have remained the same.

Mount Union and UW-Whitewater – two elite programs
synonymous with not just winning, but winning at record rates
– will face off in Stagg Bowl XXXVIII Saturday, the sixth
consecutive championship clash between the two titans.

The list of players to take the field in this annual battle for
Division III supremacy reads like a who's-who list of some of the
top college players of the decade. Quarterbacks such as Jeff
Donovan and Greg Micheli, running backs like Nate Kmic and Justin
Beaver, and wide receivers like Pierre Garcon, Cecil Shorts and
Derek Stanley among many others.

But even the most die-hard fans of the two teams might need a
game program come kickoff time in Salem this Saturday.

It's possible, if not likely, that both the Purple Raiders and
Warhawks will start backup quarterbacks. Matt Piloto could get the
start for an injured Neal Seaman on Mount Union's side, while Lee
Brekke could make his fifth consecutive start – all in the
playoffs – in place of Matt Blanchard for Whitewater.

Regardless of which two quarterbacks get the nods, all four
signal callers are in the running for a distinguished career
achievement – starting in their first Stagg Bowl.

But the two starting quarterbacks won't be the only
first-timers. Unlike past seasons, where truly dominant Mount Union
and Whitewater teams have taken the field with mostly seniors, this
year's field will showcase juniors and sophomores, many of them at
key positions.

Seaman and Brekke are both sophomores, as is Mount Union's
leading rusher, tailback Jeremy Murray. Wide receiver Jasper
Collins, whose 60 receptions and 824 yards trail only Shorts, is
also a sophomore.

But the Purple Raiders' offense looks experienced compared to
the team's defense. Only two of Mount Union's top eight tacklers
this season are seniors. Four of that same group of eight are
either freshmen or sophomores, a bit of a rarity when dealing with
a program like Mount Union.

"We have some seniors ... just not as many as we usually have,"
Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres said matter-of-factly. "But
they've really done a good job in terms of helping our young guys
learn how to practice consistently well."

On Whitewater's side, Brekke, a sophomore, seems likely will
continue to fill in for Blanchard, a junior. Standout tailback
Levell Coppage is a junior, as are linebacker Greg Arnold (52.5
tackles, six sacks) and cornerback Jared Kiesow (38 tackles, two
interceptions).

However, a quick comparison of last year's Stagg Bowl starting
lineups compared to the Mount Union and Whitewater lineups from
this year's semifinals games reveals that Whitewater has the edge
in experience.

Mount Union returns only seven starters from last year's Stagg
Bowl, including just three on offense – Shorts, junior
fullback Wes Ryder and senior right guard Sam Guerrero (who started
at right tackle in last year's Stagg Bowl).

Whitewater brings back nearly double that with 13 returning
starters, including seven on offense and four of the five offensive
line spots.

Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold estimated that 20 of his
players on this season’s 52-man postseason roster had never
made the trip to Salem. But Leipold said it is the responsibility
of the experienced upperclassmen to prepare the newcomers for what
lies ahead.

"When you talk about your senior leadership, it can go in a lot
of different ways," Leipold said. "You talk about during your
offseason in the weight room to conditioning to fall camp all the
way through. And now this is another thing, where an older guy can
tell a younger guy of what the routine is. ... Those are the things
that kind of help lay the land, whereas if you're a team that
hasn't gone or you have a group of guys that hasn't gone, the
unknown is definitely there then."

The unknown may be there for individual players, but not for the
two programs. Mount Union and Whitewater have combined to win 11 of
the past 15 Stagg Bowls, so while players and, to a lesser degree
coaches, have come and gone, the programs have withstood the test
of time.

"We haven't changed a whole lot of on our end of what we've
done," Leipold said. "I think for both schools, you tweak a few
things I would imagine, but when you keep having success with what
you're doing, you believe in your systems and you just try to
execute them the best you can."

While Kehres' team is younger than its traditonally been, the
veteran coach has leaned on a handful of key upperclassmen to help
guide the new starters through their inevitable growing pains.

"The leader in terms of our O-line is Sam Guerrero," Kehres
said. "He's played a couple different positions for us, he's played
guard, he's played tackle and he's done that for a couple years
based on other men being injured. He's kind of a quiet leader, not
as recognized as some of the skill players, but he's been a
critical part of the development of this team, from our perspective
because he hasn't missed any games for three seasons."

Kehres couldn't have asked for a better duo of senior defenders
in defensive end Lambert Budzinski and linebacker Sam Kershaw, who
have anchored the Purple Raiders' stout defense this season.

Budzinski has 101 tackles, including 29 for a loss, and 17.5
sacks, which trails only Linfield's Eric Hedin's 21 sacks for most
in the country.

"Thank goodness for Lambert because we were totally kind of
young on our defensive line and inexperienced, but he's been a
leader in helping those young guys practice properly," Kehres said.
"He's a very disciplined player in carrying out his assignments.
... He's really been the ultimate in terms of leadership for our
team and everything you want in one of your captains."

Kershaw, with 94 tackles, has been a steadying force not only
for the rest of the linebacking corps, but for the defense as a
whole. That's allowed players like sophomore linebacker Charles
Dieuseul (72 tackles, nine sacks) and sophomore strong safety Nick
Driskill (68 tackles, three sacks, five interceptions) to
shine.

Kehres also singled out senior cornerback Chaz Jordan, senior
tight end Kyle Miller and senior left tackle Kyle Reese as other
important pieces of the puzzle.

Of course, when considering all of this it's important to keep
in mind that at one time, players like Beaver, Kmic and Donovan
were making their first appearances in the Stagg Bowl. Their names
have since forever been etched in the history of the game.

Now, it's time for a new generation of players to leave their
marks.

Kehres also
singled out senior cornerback Chaz Jordan, senior tight end Kyle
Miller and senior left tackle Kyle Reese as other important pieces
of the puzzle.

Of course, when
considering all of this it's important to keep in mind that at one
time, players like Beaver, Kmic and Donovan were making their first
appearances in the Stagg Bowl. Their names have since forever been
etched in the history of the game.